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The Dix Family: Dixes Never Quit!
For those of us who are newer to Ave Maria, it is hard to imagine the town without Maple Ridge, Publix, or the Oratory, but the Dix family knows the town before those things quite well. When they moved to Ave in 2007, the Oratory was just a skeleton of what it is now and the vast majority of the current residential areas were inhabited by wildlife alone.
The patriarch of the Dix family, Daniel, was present for the groundbreaking procession as a couple hundred folks walked in prayer through the tomato fields and Ave Maria became a town. Daniel and Monica were also the first to sign a commitment to open a business in Ave Maria — that business was The Bean of Ave Maria.
Standing outside of Sunday Mass, Monica Dix, wife and mother of five, shares that their offertory envelope is number 27 — those envelopes were handed out to residents star ting with number one — another fact proving their status as one of the original families in Ave.
When they moved to Ave, they were a family of five, with the youngest two girls not having been born yet. Now, they are a family of seven with one dog, Bob Lee Swagger . The Dix girls are: Isabella Ray, “Bella,” 13; Gianna Carolina, “Gigi,” 10; Josephina Maria, “Josie,” 9; Gabriella Lucia, “Gabby,” 5; and Rosa Emiliana, 2. Daniel and Monica had very specific plans for their girls’ names. Firstly, all of their names have Italian roots, and most also honor a family member or patron saint. But secondly, Monica said, “we wanted to be sure their names could work if they wanted to be diplomats or rock stars.”
While unsure if the future has either of those two careers in store for any of the girls, their current interests are certainly varied, including track and field, martial arts, reading, sailing, fencing, book-writing, video game playing, and coding, to name a few.
While their schedules haven’t always been full with the multitude of activities they are now, Daniel and Monica are no strangers to long days and packed schedules. The two met while Monica was studying ceramics and sculpture at Carnegie Mellon University and Daniel was finishing up his degree in art history while working as an art conservator at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, PA. They fell in love and Daniel proposed while on a seven-week bike trip together in Europe.
Monica, who was a cradle Catholic, although not practicing her faith at the time, wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. This was a bit of a problem for Daniel, who was a practicing Christian, but had no real allegiance to any particular denomination at the time. His problem came with the vow to raise his future children in the Catholic faith. Daniel took this vow very seriously. After discussing it with his own family and because it was something that Monica felt strongly about, the two were married in the Catholic Church.
Before they got married though,shortly after their engagement, Daniel left Pittsburgh to put his journalism degree to use by taking a job in management at a daily newspaper in his hometown of Wooster , OH. Monica wasn’t thrilled about the idea of moving to Wooster, so she stayed in Pennsylvania believing it might be easier to find work somewhere she was already comfortable.
It didn’t take her long to realize that she needed to be where Daniel was, “I was like, ‘what am I doing? I’m ruining this relationship I’m supposed to be in’ — Daniel proposed! This isn’t just dating anymore’ — I had made a commitment to Dan. And ultimately,
Donahue Shamrock Football – 2016 Home Game Schedule
Let’s go Shamrocks! Click the image for a larger view:
More information is available here.
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No Surprise: Ave Maria is a rapidly growing traditional college town with a Catholic heart
Those who haven’t been paying attention might not realize just how nice Ave Maria is and why it has attracted several hundreds of homebuyers in the past two years. The latest video about the town is very well done. It hits all the points. The tag line is: “Ave Maria. Life. Made Simple.”
And it’s all true. Ave Maria is a rapidly growing traditional college town with something for all ages and for everyone who loves family, friends, faith, sports, art, education and old fashioned hometown values. And one drive or stroll through town will help you see that Ave Maria is the town with a Catholic heart. And, as the video reminds us, Ave Maria has 100 miles of trails!
Ave Maria is the home of Ave Maria University, the Donohue Catholic prep school, the Ave Maria Montessori School and a homeschool co-op. The town is also home to Arthrex‘s large (and expanding) medical device factory, as well as many other businesses including a Publix grocery store. Five health care providers offer services in town: the Braden Clinic offers primary care physician appointments onsite five days a week and can also make house calls, Ave Maria Chiropractic provides services in town, physical therapy is offered by ResultsCare, dental and orthodontic services are offered by Ave Maria Dentistry, and massage therapy is offered 5 days a week via house call or at the Oasis Club by Ave Maria Massage.
Recently Ave Maria was named one of the top 50 master planned communities in the country, and was also named one of the top 20 communities for those who are retiring.
Robb Klucik has lived with his family in Ave Maria since it opened in 2007. In addition to running his law practice in Ave Maria, Robb edits this blog, administers a facebook forum for 1000 Ave Maria residents, serves as the President of the West Point Society of Naples, and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
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Towey no fan of Crist, but we can all be fans of Towey
Yesterday’s Tampa Bay Times highlighted some Florida history perhaps unknown to many Ave Maria residents. It involves AMU president Jim Towey and former GOP governor Charlie Crist.
While infamous for his deep orange tan, Mr. Crist’s more substantive notoriety is as the sitting Republican governor who opted not to run for re-election in 2010 so that he could run for the U.S. senate, lost the GOP senate primary to Marco Rubio, and instantly morphed into a liberal independent to run against Rubio in the general election.
Crist (who in prior campaigns advocated abolishing the IRS, bringing back chain gangs, and impeaching Bill Clinton – and who as governor actually appointed key Clinton impeachment leader Charles Canady to be a Florida Supreme Court Justice) ran an embarrassing campaign and was soundly defeated by Rubio.
Soon afterward Crist joined one of Florida’s most well-known personal injury law firms, Morgan & Morgan, whose ubiquitous media ads include advocacy for legalizing medical marijuana. Crist himself became a TV pitchman for the firm.
Then in 2012, Crist – still an independent – emerged to endorse Barack Obama during a televised speech at the Democratic National Convention, after which Crist joined the Democrat party.
Which brings us to yesterday’s lengthy article that tries to answer the question “Who is Charlie Crist?”, just as Crist signals the start of a campaign to do what “now should be impossible… to be governor as a Republican and then governor, again, just four years later, as a Democrat.” In trying to answer that question, the journalist highlighted a 1995 incident involving Crist and Jim Towey:
Today, Crist talks about civility and bipartisanship, but Florida’s last Democratic governor [Lawton Chiles] saw Crist as the main obstacle to that. For instance, Jim Towey, Chiles’ idealistic, outspoken head of social services and a former aide to Mother Teresa, lost his post because of Crist’s committee [Senate Committee on Executive Business, Ethics and Elections]. Towey is now the president of Ave Maria University near Naples. He shakes his head that Crist is campaigning as a friend of black voters when he played such a key role in putting so many of them behind bars and in chain gangs. “He can change his image, but he can’t change the facts,” Towey said. “What I see Charlie Crist doing today is the same thing I saw him doing 20 years ago. He’s a master at media manipulation.”
Back then, according to Towey, Crist was gracious to him in private even while ripping him in public. Years later, Crist ran into Towey at the White House, where Towey led President George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives. Crist greeted him cheerfully, like they were longtime pals, “happily saying hi to my wife and me when he led my firing when we had two little kids under 3 years old,” Towey said. “To him, it was all forgotten. Didn’t mean a thing. That’s how the guy is wired.” Cordial or pathological? Decorous or two-faced? The velvet glove was open to interpretation.
To be sure, prior to Towey’s initial appointment as Florida’s head of social services everyone knew the agency was in terrible shape and it would be an extremely difficult job. And shortly after the senate fired him the legislature split the huge behemoth agency into two agencies. To be sure, Charlie Crist’s career proves him to be the epitome of a political opportunist – which makes Towey’s remarks ring all the more true.
Some readers might remember a bit about this incident – it was mentioned in passing when Towey first came to Ave Maria. The fact that it was highlighted again this week can serve as a reminder of the weight of experience and the breadth of contacts (seems pretty obvious when a man has been advisor to a saint, a president, a governor, and a senator*) that Jim brings to his office each day as the president of AMU. We can all keep praying that he continues to use them for the success of the institution so dear to our town, and we can thank him for working in earnest to be a man of virtue who is not afraid to take on very difficult challenges.
*Blessed Mother Teresa, President George W. Bush, Governor Lawton Chiles, and Senator Mark Hatfield
Synod on Family and Evangelization highlights what Ave Maria must guard against
Does anyone remember this request for input? Those questions were geared toward the Church’s Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will discuss The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization, to be held in October.
In late June the Vatican published the working document (instrumentum laboris) for this synod. The entire document is worth reading. Among its 159 paragraphs are two that people in Ave Maria (her founders, leaders, residents and parishioners) might find interesting because they seem to re-state some of the criticisms that have been aimed at Ave Maria. These are the two paragraphs:
Support for a Familial Spirituality
58. Many bishops’ conferences recount how particular Churches render support to a familial spirituality in their pastoral activity. In our time, spiritual movements make a special contribution to promoting an authentic, effective pastoral programme for the family. Christian communities are characterized by a variety of ecclesial situations and approaches aimed at specific individuals. Clearly, local Churches should be able to find that this richness is a real resource for not only promoting various initiatives on behalf of couples intending marriage but devising ways to provide suitable pastoral care for families today. Some respondents recount that many dioceses foster specific endeavours and formation for couples who can then provide support to other couples and sustain a series of initiatives to promote a true familial spirituality. Some argue that sometimes local communities, movements, groups and religious associations can be exclusive and too restrictive in the life of a parish. This situation illustrates the importance of their being fully engaged with the whole Church in an authentic sense of mission so as to avoid the danger of excessively looking inward. Families belonging to these communities exercise a vibrant apostolate and, judging from the past, are instrumental in the evangelization of many families. Their members offer a credible witness with their lives of fidelity in marriage, mutual respect, unity and openness to life.
Counter-Witness in the Church
75. Responses from almost every part of the world frequently refer to the sexual scandals within the Church (pedophilia, in particular) and, in general, to a negative experience with the clergy and other persons. Sex scandals significantly weaken the Church’s moral credibility, above all in North America and northern Europe. In addition, a conspicuously lavish lifestyle by some of the clergy shows an inconsistency between their teaching and their conduct. Some lay faithful live and practice their faith in a “showy manner,” failing to display the truth and humility required by the Gospel spirit. The responses lament that persons who are separated, divorced or single parents sometimes feel unwelcome in some parish communities, that some clergy are uncompromising and insensitive in their behavior; and, generally speaking, that the Church, in many ways, is perceived as exclusive, and not sufficiently present and supportive. In this sense, an open and positive pastoral approach is needed, one which can restore confidence in the institution through a credible witness by all her members.
While perception is not always reality, it is true that perception can be an impediment to winning people over for Christ. If we are not careful, without us realizing it the project of Ave Maria might overshadow the reason for the project, that is Christ.* If we love this reason and wish to serve Him and lead others to know Him, it seems we will at least keep these things in mind, and perhaps take the occasion of this Synod to come up with ways our community can address these concerns.
Before he was pope: Fr. Bergoglio with his family.
*See Msgr. Lorenzo Albecete, “A Presence, Not Utopia,” Traces, No. 11, December 1, 2007.
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Joseph Pearce: not a nice guy
Our former neighbor, writer Joseph Pearce, is someone many of us in Ave Maria admire and miss seeing around town. But that doesn’t mean he is a nice guy.* What are we to make of a guy who claims that the Arabic writing is on the wall?
Nevertheless, according to the folks at Father Robert Barron’s Word on Fire blog, Pearce’s newest book is worth reading. Likewise, according to the Integrated Catholic Life blog:
…his brand new book, Beauteous Truth: Faith, Reason, Literature & Culture… explores the connection between the Good, the True and the Beautiful [and] makes the important connections between faith and reason and between theology, philosophy, history and literature…
If you enjoy Joseph’s work then you might want to visit the journal he edits, Saint Austin Review. In the meantime we will continue to miss him as we pray for the success of his newest endeavor as director of the Center for Faith & Culture at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee.
* Read the link before jumping to conclusions.
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Philosophers on a Mountain Top
These two are among the men who call Ave Maria home. It will be interesting to hear more about their escapade over a bourbon or some wine. Let us pray they came back refreshed and ready to inspire their students and contribute to the Academy.
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Ave Herald publishers say goodbye to town’s iconic cat, Monty
Please click to read about Monty, cat of Ave Maria.
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New home sales in Ave Maria: Hampton highest average price, Maple Ridge most sales
Map from county website showing Ave Maria home sales in 2014
In the four-month period April 1 through July 28, 2014, there were 51 new home sales in Ave Maria at an average price of just over $277,000 (according to a database search of the official records of Collier County). Meanwhile new construction continues apace in Maple Ridge
While Hampton Village had the highest average new home price, Maple Ridge sold the most homes, followed closely by Del Webb. Also noteworthy is that Ave Maria Development has no more condominiums listed for sale at La Piazza in the heart of town. These figures include only new home sales from the various builders to the public:
- 23 Maple Ridge new home closings at an average sales price of about $284,000;
- 22 Del Webb Naples new home closings at an average sales price just under $276,000;
- 3 Hampton Village new home closings at an average sales price of about $298,000;
- 2 LaPiazza condo new home closings at an average sales price of $170,000; and
- 1 Emerson Park new home closing at a sales price of $290,000.
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Comments, Chronology & Video: Ave Maria University President Towey reacts to Hobby Lobby decision
Today’s Supreme Court news in the Hobby Lobby HHS contraception mandate case reverberated in Ave Maria rather loudly. While the impact the decision will have on lawsuits by non-profits such as AMU is not clear, AMU president Jim Towey (an attorney) sees today’s decision as a good development. AMU is represented by the Becket Fund, the same law firm that prevailed in today’s Hobby Lobby case. The Ave Herald’s coverage is here.
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Newspaper does good job covering call to priesthood – Ave Maria featured
News-Press image – click for full version
While it can seem rare,* the press sometimes does a good job covering religion and the religious experience. The Fort Myers News-Press has published a nice multimedia piece (article, video, photos) that features Ave Maria pastor Father Cory Mayer (who is also the vocation director for the Diocese of Venice), Ave Maria University director of campus ministry Father Robert Garrity, and a recent graduate of AMU. The piece highlights two men discerning a call to ordination as priests, including a surprise ending. Hats off to reporter Dave Breitenstein who can be reached at dbreitenstein@news-press.com.
The piece is part of a three part series about Catholic priests in the Diocese of Venice. Excerpts from each one are below:
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McTeigue: on lust, nursing babies, serving 2 masters, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga’s example of purity
St. Aloysius Gonzaga’s example of caring for plague victims resulted in his being adopted as the patron of those who have AIDS and their caregivers
Ave Maria’s Father Robert McTeigue, S.J., preached this homily on the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He is currently finishing a collection of homilies and essays on preaching entitled, I Have Someone to Tell You: A Jesuit Heralds the Gospel.
Why should we care about Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, who was a young Jesuit saint who died at the age of 22 in 1591? Well, he’s long been known as a “patron of youth”, which is a fine thing, because your youth today need plenty of patrons, but I suspect some people may find Saint Aloysius difficult to market to today’s youth. After all, he doesn’t have a cool street name like others admired by young folks today, such as “Jay Z” or “Righteous B.” We don’t have photos of him looking like an Italian fashion model, as we do of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. And to make Saint Aloysius a reall hard sell in today’s world, he’s known as a patron of youthful purity.
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McTeigue: Jesus tells us, “Do not make an idol or an instrument of people made beautiful by God.”
Ave Maria’s Father Robert McTeigue, S.J., preached this homily today for the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. The scripture readings are here. Please pray for Father as he works towards completing a collection of homilies and essays on preaching entitled, I Have Someone to Tell You: A Jesuit Heralds the Gospel.
Michelangelo’s naked Adam and Eve just before the Fall, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. According to Ave Maria University’s Dr. Michael Waldstein, a renowned scholar on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body: “Some [naked] images push us to concupiscence, others do not. . . . Going to the Sistine Chapel and looking at the naked women on the ceiling is for this reason a very different experience than watching a pornographic movie. It is not presumption, but the experience of many men, that one can look with purity at Michelangelo’s nudes and take delight in their beauty. Michelangelo himself must have looked at his naked models in a pure way in order to be able to paint nudes in that pure way. . . . Of course, if one does feel a slide into concupiscence when looking at Michelangelo’s nudes, it is a good idea to look away. That need to look away should also be a trumpet blast for recognizing . . . that one is in need of a serious transformation.”
May I ask you a question? What if someone came to you and said this: “Oh! I just did a terrible thing! I was in an art museum, and I noticed that the paintings were beautiful!” You would think that a rather strange statement, would you not? Suppose your troubled friend went on to say: “And after I noticed that the paintings were beautiful, I praised the artists who painted them!” You would know right away that your friend is obviously quite confused. Going to an art museum, enjoying the beauty of the paintings, and then praising the painters—well, in terms of a purpose of a museum—it just doesn’t get any better than that.
But what if your friend says this: “Oh! I went to the art museum, and I saw the beautiful paintings, and I stole them!” Then you would know that your poor friend is more than just confused. And what if your friend said: “I went to the art museum, slashed the beautiful paintings, and used the shredded paintings to shine my shoes.” Then you would know for sure that your confused friend is very sick.
Now, let me ask you another question. What does this little parable of mine have to do with today’s gospel reading?
Ave Maria new home closings recorded April 1 through June 12, 2014
A snapshot from Trulia. Figures below are from the Collier County Clerk’s online records.
There are reportedly over 100 homes currently under construction in Ave Maria. According to a database search of the official records of Collier County covering the 73-day period April 1 through June 12, in Ave Maria there were:
- 31 new home closings in all of Ave Maria at an average sales price of about $278,000;
- 10 Maple Ridge new home closings at an average sales price of about $271,000;
- 18 Del Webb Naples new home closings at an average sales price just under $287,000;
- 1 Emerson Park new home closing at a sales price of $290,000;
- 1 Hampton Village new home closing at a sales price of about$284,000;
- 1 LaPiazza condo new home closing at a sales price of $175,000.
These figures include only new home sales from the various builders to the public.
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2 new FOCUS missionaries assigned to AMU
Welcome to Ave Maria’s two newest residents. May their work bear much fruit.
Drum roll please……………..looks like I’ll need to get used to this humidity and start buying bug spray in bulk because as the first week of New Staff Training came to a close, I found out that I will be serving as a FOCUS Missionary right here at Ave Maria University in South Florida!! I’ll talk more on placements later but first I wanna touch on everything that’s happened this past week. It’s only been 5 full days here at training and already I feel like we’ve done and covered so much information. It was a little overwhelming at first but we’re all having lots of fun and I’m really looking forward to the next 4 weeks.
5 of The 7 Of Us Here From Colorado State (From Left To Right: Me, Ashlyn, Sean, Brian and Matt)
First of all, I have to say again just how amazing it is to…
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POLL: In what Catholic groups or movements are you involved here in Ave Maria?
Please take the poll, which closes after one week. You can add groups if yours isn’t listed. If you would like a group or movement to start meeting in Ave Maria, please list that in the comments.
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Ave Maria Oratory – Mass and Confession times June 2014
Our town is fortunate to have an abundance of opportunity for Confession and Mass, as well as an abundance of priests who live and work in town. Summer is when the schedule changes a bit because so many people (including priests) are away during the summer break. While 500+ additional Catholics are in Ave Maria for FOCUS new staff training, this is the June Mass schedule for the Oratory:
If that version seems fuzzy, you can find a PDF version here. Here are links for the summer schedule after FOCUS leaves – it might not be accurate, but it will likely look like this in July and August:
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Fr. McTeigue: Invite God’s Providence & Accept His Paternal Authority
Ave Maria’s Father Robert McTeigue, S.J., preached this homily for the 5th Sunday after Easter according to the calendar of the Traditional Latin Mass. The Epistle was James 1:22-27, and the Gospel was John 16:23-30. Please pray for Father as he works towards completing a collection of homilies and essays on preaching entitled, I Have Someone to Tell You: A Jesuit Heralds the Gospel.
Did you ever wonder—what would the world look like if there were no fathers? Now, if you are biologically minded you might object and say, “‘No fathers’ = ‘no babies’” so a world without fathers would not last very long. True enough. But I am not talking about being a simple donor of genetic material; I am talking about being a true father. What would a world without true fathers look like?
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Ave Maria new home closings recorded in April and May 2014
There are reportedly about 100 homes currently under construction in Ave Maria. According to a database search of the official records of Collier County for the period April 1 through May 24, in Ave Maria there were apparently:
- 7 Maple Ridge new home closings at an average sales price of slightly above $262,000;
- 6 Del Webb Naples new home closings at an average sales price just under $260,000;
- 1 Emerson Park new home closing (Lot 168) at a sales price of $290,000; and
- No Hampton Village new home closings recorded during that period.
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Smalltown USA: Little League Champs, Knights of Columbus, Memorial Day Picnic at the Water Park
Knights of Columbus poster from WW I
UPDATE: Here are some photos and a report about the party.
While Ave Maria has an obvious Catholic flavor, it’s really a rebirth of small town USA. This post honors several American traditions.
Ave Maria’s 
first rate little league fields in North Park now have a first rate Little League championship team to match. The Minor B Ave Maria Twins capped an undefeated season with a sweep through their league’s championship tournament. The story is at the Ave Herald.
You can congratulate the boys and their dads when you see them at the town’s Memorial Day party at the Water Park sponsored by the always patriotic Knights of Columbus – free admission and hot dogs! As we enjoy the long weekend, we can take some time to remember those who have given their lives to defend our God-given freedoms.
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Ave Maria couple with three #1 CDs signs St. Paul’s Boys Choir for debut album
You likely saw Kevin and Monica Fitzgibbons’ faces around town over the last several years. While Kevin was a student at Ave Maria School of Law their family spent a good deal of time each week in Ave Maria town. They moved with their five children to the Midwest last year, but recently decided to return to this area because they really enjoy being part of the Ave Maria community.
Kevin & Monica Fitzgibbons talk about their 3 #1 Classical CDs with Fr. Pacwa on EWTN
Prior to their law school adventure, they were both executives in the Hollywood recording industry. When they departed from those careers, they decided to found two new labels. This is how their recent press release puts it:
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Ave Maria’s Paul Adams: To aim at virtue and fall short does not a hypocrite make
Ave Maria is teeming with thoughtful writers, scholars and bloggers. Our neighbor and friend Paul Adams is an impressively-credentialed scholar (MA from Oxford, PhD from Berkeley) and convert whose writing is always edifying.
Today he has written about the absurd yet common phenomenon of Christians being called “hypocrite” in internet com boxes because they sin. Here is an excerpt:
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Ave Maria celebrates Holy Matrimony
Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Philip Barrows.
Wedding season in Ave Maria is a great opportunity to reflect on marriage. As our pope, St. John Paul the Great shared these thoughts on matrimony in Familiaris Consortio:
Ave Maria’s Pakaluk to Harvard’s Faust: Eucharistic worship is NOT “reasoned discourse and robust dissent”
Eucharistic Adoration at Harvard Square: “Reasoned discourse and robust dissent”?
Michael Pakaluk is an Ave Marian with close and longstanding ties to Harvard. There he met his late wife Ruth while they were both undergraduates. He later earned his PhD in Philosophy there, and his wife Catherine recently earned her PhD from Harvard. He also has close ties to Ave Maria (owns a home here, is raising his family here, is a professor here, some of his children attend college here, his mother lives here, his father-in-law lives here, his married son lives here, his married daughter lives here, etc.).
We shared his initial reaction to Harvard’s black mass here at AveMariaLiving.com. Yesterday Michael wrote about the Faustian response he received from black mass Harvard’s president in reply to Pakaluk’s letter to her. President Faust sent a form letter to “Mr. Pakaluk” (just some guy who has two degrees from Harvard, married Harvard alums, has for decades been a prominent
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10 things changing this summer in Ave Maria, Florida
While Summer doesn’t begin until June 21, the town of Ave Maria goes into summer mode once AMU has it’s graduation. Here are a few things in store during this break from the university’s academic year and from the “season” when resident snowbirds, tourists and pilgrims are absent.
1. AMU Summer Academic Term: Ave Maria University holds summer classes. Session I is from May 12 through June 21, 2014, and Session II is from June 23 through August 2, 2014.
2. Ave Maria Oratory Quasi-Parish schedule of Mass and Confession change (Ave Herald always has the updated Mass schedule).
Sunday Mass: 8 am Latin; 10 am English (also 4:15 vigil on Saturday when FOCUS is on campus May 27 to July 6).
Monday-Friday Mass: Noon (also 5:15 Mass when FOCUS is on campus May 27 to July 6)
Saturday Mass: 9 am Saturday Confession: 9:30 – 10:30 am
Wednesday Confession: 2:45 – 3:45 pm
3. FOCUS New Staff Training: Once again the campus of Ave Maria University will be the site where over 500 employees and staff from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students will hold New Staff Training. According to AMU sources: the FOCUS people will begin to arrive on May 27 and May 28, with the majority of the group of 420 staying until July 6. There may be a group of about 50 that will stay until July 15, and there will be one week where there will be up to 520 in the group.
Donahue Catholic honors fallen Army pilot and military alums
Margaret Padgett in front of the Major David Padgett Wall of Honor, newly installed at Donahue Catholic Academy in Ave Maria
This afternoon the Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria dedicated a Wall of Honor to honor Army pilot Major David Padgett who was killed during the Vietnam War. The founder of the school, Marine Corps veteran Tom Monaghan, and the school’s benefactrix namesake, Mrs. Rhodora Donahue, were also on hand for the ceremony in the library where the Wall of Honor is installed. Read the rest of this entry »
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“Balloons Over Paradise” means lots of balloons over Ave Maria
This weekend the Balloons Over Paradise event near Ave Maria actually featured a flight of at least a dozen hot air balloons that flew over Ave Maria on Saturday morning. Several of the balloons landed in Ave Maria. These photos all appeared on social media sites even as the balloons were in the air:
Balloon’s-eye view? Not really. This is what the Oratory might look like from a balloon, but this was taken by Ave Maria resident Scott Shneider as he inspected the roof earlier in April.
Balloon lands in Bellera neighborhood in Ave Maria.
Balloons fly over Ave Maria, Florida.
Balloons photographed from a balcony at the center of Ave Maria, Florida.
Balloons fly bast the Ave Maria Oratory.
Balloons drifting over Ave Maria, Florida.
Balloon making a landing in Ave Maria.
Balloon lands in Emerson Park in Ave Maria.
Giant bear looms over Ave Maria.
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23 children make First Holy Communion in Ave Maria
Pastor Fr. Cory Mayer and catechists with communicants – Ave Maria Oratory First Holy Communion
First Communicants process in for Mass at the Ave Maria Oratory
Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist attended the First Communion Mass in Ave Maria
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Recent Herald stories: Ave Maria Water #1, Veterans home proposal, more
Since its founding in 2007, the town of Ave Maria has been able to consistently rely on one solid source for news: the Ave Maria Herald, a project of Pat Sette and David Shnaider, who moved their family to town in the beginning. We are fortunate to have them as part of our community. These are some of the stories in the Herald recently about Ave Maria:
Ave Maria Is a Potential Site for VA Nursing Home
Ave Maria Water Judged Florida’s Best for 2nd time
Travis Curtright Honored with 2nd Laub-Novak Award
Laura Mastandrea Named to All-Area HS Soccer Team
Donahue Football Players Receive State-wide Awards
Former AMU Student Remembered as “Everyday Hero”
Ave Maria Oratory: Lumen Christi
Easter Vigil Mass at the Ave Maria Oratory
photo by Rudy Vasquez
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Easter Sunday with Fr. McTeigue: How will I know it’s Easter?
The readings for today’s Mass for Easter Sunday, which focus on the Resurrection of the Lord, were the inspiration for this homily given by Father Robert McTeigue, SJ, a homilist par excellence who teaches Philosophy at Ave Maria University and preaches almost every day to the students and parishioners of Ave Maria, and who asks for your prayers as he completes his forthcoming book, I Have Someone to Tell You: A Jesuit Heralds the Gospel, which will include a sampling of his homilies and some essays on preaching. We invite comments below.
Would you mind if I asked you a question? It is a question with an obvious answer, but I want us to find a not-so-obvious answer. Are you ready? The question is this: How do you know when it is time to celebrate Easter? The obvious answer would be, “That’s easy Father—just look at a calendar.” A more sophisticated answer might be, “I think it’s got something to do with the full moon and the spring equinox.” Now, that’s ok, but that’s not quite what I’m looking for.
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In need of corporal works, He left
To lose – to give my self – to love*
From crib to cross the life He led
Was feeding us and being fed
In giving all He had to give
His body: food, that I might live
Yes from that wood He wished to feed
His flock by giving me His need
Such wounded need, to give me heaven
The Lamb in need of works, all seven
Evicted from His temple home (1)
Imprisoned by the man from Rome (2)
Sickened by each brutal blow (3)
A grimmer day no man could know
Naked (4) and deprived of bread (5)
And thirsting so (6), and finally dead (7)
In need of corporal works, He left
A humble gift for His bereft
That strengthens us to ever give
To ‘suage His need in those who live
His gift to me was being killed
By giving so was He fulfilled
I too must lose my “self” to find
The dest’ny of my heart and mind
To lose – to give my self – to love
A humble moon, reflection of
The gleaming giving Trinity
I seek and hope to ever be
And thus I hope to ever see
In glory His Divinity
By losing everything, I gain
By losing, everything I gain
A family’s Way of the Cross*
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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Ave Maria
This recent blog piece gives high praise to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Here is an excerpt:
[This] program for children has given the kids something I could never be sure I was conveying: a simple, synthesized, profound involvement with the Gospel and with the liturgical life of the Church.
Did you know this program is present here in Ave Maria at the Montessori school in town? On the website, one local family offers this testimonial:
…We are especially grateful that Ave Maria Montessori incorporates the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd so that our children can experience the truth and beauty of Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy in a way that is accessible to them…
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Great News: Scanlon new athletic & formation director at Donahue Catholic
Two sources have confirmed that beloved Shamrock football coach Rich Scanlon has been hired by Donahue Catholic as its Director of Athletics, Director of Formation, and Physical Education Instructor. Last week Coach Read the rest of this entry »
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Typical Saturday in Ave Maria: cappuccino, Mass, little league, rugby, confession, brewing beer, etc.
Many people arrive at this blog by googling terms such as “what is Ave Maria really like”. This post tries to give some insight by sharing what a typical Saturday looks like for an Ave Maria family. These are some of the things members of my family did yesterday: walked to adoration and morning Mass, made cappuccino for a neighbor, biked to the little league game, walked to church to make First Confession, biked to 
local ice cream shop to celebrate, walked across the street to play/watch rugby matches, biked to neighbor’s porch to brew (and consume) India pale ale, visited grandmother down the street who just got home from hip replacement (and arranged to have pastor bring Holy Communion to her on Sunday), 
watched toddler of a young couple who had a date night, brought guitar to neighbor for restringing, walked over to a praise festival at the university, and walked to the Catholic school to play organized games at the gym. I’m sure I only left out a dozen other things.
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Afternoon pilgrimage with Mother Teresa: “If there are poor on the moon we will go there”
I had wanted to see the new Mother Teresa exhibit in Ave Maria since it opened on April 2. After some good news at work, I walked downstairs and headed down the block toward the exhibit to make an act of thanksgiving to God. And I am so glad I did. The exhibit was very moving. For anyone who felt Mother’s absence when she left this world it will be hard not to well up with emotion at every information panel in the exhibit.
What a gift it is to have here in Ave Maria Mother’s Read the rest of this entry »
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A year in Ave Maria, Florida
Bob and Erin Campbell have lived in town since almost the beginning. Hailing from Iowa, Erin is an alum of Ave Maria College. Bob is from Bayonne, NJ, and his alma mater is Franciscan University of Steubenville. Both Bob and Erin are Marine Corps veterans. They and their three daughters just welcomed a new boy to the family. Bob helps coach the football team at Donahue Catholic and is active with the Knights of Columbus and the Naples St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. They are both real estate agents at the John R. Wood Properties office located in Ave Maria.
They created this video to celebrate the past twelve months doing business in the town they call home, Ave Maria.
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Wired Magazine does the Ave Maria a bit differently
You may recall the work in Ave Maria of photographer Rylan Steele from a prior piece (and his website is here). Today Wired magazine featured his photographs of Ave Maria along with his reflections about the town. Unlike most of the pieces about Ave Maria that simply restate all the tired caricatures of the town, this one actually highlights the photographer’s insistence that we are genuine – a real community of people with admirable intentions.*
“I’ve started to identify with the people living there and why they might want to live in a place where they know their neighbor, can leave their bike in the front yard overnight, and probably the doors unlocked.”
He, a non-believer, defends us! It seems that Steele – having spent time with us – actually cares about us and doesn’t want people to accept the caricatures. Thanks Rylan. Please keep coming back. 
* Yes, the headline stinks, and yes there is a bit of the typical Ave-bashing, but we can lay that at the feet of the Wired editor. And the photos are stale – from 2011.
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Ave Maria Living.com 